Winds of Change

New vision and inspiration for the journey.
A Mystery School Newsletter from Linda Heron Wind
published on each Full Moon

April Full Moon Newsletter

April 2004 (Full Moon in Libra, April 5)

Guides give the answer
But then I just ask again
Not liking the first

Laughing and playing
Are essentials for happiness
Seeds of the flower

What's Happening?

Well, that was certainly a very intense wave of Equinox energy that we just washed over us! It has washed up a lot of debris from the depths of souls onto the shores of our lives. The question that seems to be still with us is whether we are brave enough to step fully into our bodies and lives in an authentic way - no more following muggle rules of how life is suppose to be. The full moon in Libra calls us to find true equality in our relationships and appreciate the beauty all around us. As we move out of this Equinox wave we can clean up the beach from all the old stuff washed up and prepare to move toward the solar eclipse on the April 19th. That combined with Mercury going retrograde from April 6th to April 30th should make for an intense period of clearing. Focus on being in integrity with your words - say what you mean.
All of this is leading up to another lunar eclipse on the May full moon that closely follows Beltane or May Day. Authenticity is the word of the month as we continue to release that which is not us and more fully embody who we are. More next time on the initiatory gateway of the May full moon.

Focusing my mind
Is a bit like wrestling
An alligator!

Time to rest and heal
Cleansing and clearing away
Remnants of the past

Upcoming Workshops

I am really excited to be offering the week long Changing Woman Camp again this summer. I offered this for several years at the Light on the Hill Retreat Center near Ithaca and now for the first time will be doing it on the CIRCLE land in Dansville - Shequaga. I love doing this camp! It is so amazing to see the changes that can happen in a week's time when there is loving community to support the process. There is enough time to play together, hang out in the beauty of nature, create sacred art, drum and dance, do some serious inner work, and enjoy community. I highly recommend this camp to any women seeking vision for their lives and to be more authentic in their lives.

The spring Mystery School workshops will focus on exploring the East Gate to the Soul and the meditation technique for entering - shamanic journey. At the East Gate we must leave behind attachments to gain freedom upon entering the Circle of the Soul. Over the three workshops we will work with initiation by fire. Each workshop will be offered from 1-5 PM in Victor, NY. $40 ($55 for non-CIRCLE members includes membership)

April 4 - Shamanic Tools for Healing
Shamanic journeys have been made for the purpose of healing since the beginning of human time. We explore the variety of ways that the shaman accesses healing energy and information as we seek to understand healing through the shaman's eyes. Initiation continues as we surrender to the fire and die the shaman's death. All that separates us is released as we are willing to sit with emptiness.

May 2 - Shamanic Tools for Self-Mastery
The shaman must master all parts of the self to become whole. As we each manifest our wholeness, the tears in the fabric of life will be healed. When we step into the place of mastery, even for a short while, we can explore the use of group energy to facilitate healing our world. They say that a shaman casts no shadow. When you stand in the fire, you become the sun and light shines from you in all directions. All shadow is consumed by the fire, and, as the phoenix rises, we will step from the ashes to a new level of mastery to be gifted with freedom in the Circle of the Soul.

Shamanic dreaming
Calls this world into wholeness
Singing its essence

Step into the fire
Releasing all attachments
To receive clear vision

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Summer/Fall 2004 programs that I will be facilitating include:

• June 4-6 Medicine Circle: Vision Quest for Women
• June 18-20 Star Dance: Manifesting with Solstice Energy
• June 25-27 Young Woman-Mentor Earth School for girls 11-16 yrs
• July 7-11 Mother-Daughter Earth School for girls 7-11 and mothers or other adult women
• July 25-31 Changing Woman Camp for women any age
• August 20-22 Parent-Child Earth School for mothers or fathers with sons or daughters
• September 24-26 Dancing into the Darkness: Entering the Jaguar Dreaming Lodge

These are all held at Shequaga in Dansville near Rochester, NY. Details are available on the Workshops page of my website or the CIRCLE web site (www.circleinc.org).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Brooke Medicine Eagle will be in Rochester for the following workshops in the fall.

• Friday evening Sept. 10 in the yurt (Victor)
  An Evening of Harmony - For Yourself and the World!
  
  
• Saturday and Sunday Sept. 11-12 at Shequaga (Dansville)
  Healing Ourselves, Healing Our Planet
  

Check the CIRCLE website for more details (www.circleinc.org):

Ritual

Wisdom Bundle - On the full moon create a bundle. Take a piece of leather, cloth or a bandana and a ribbon or string to tie it up. Lay the bundle covering out on a table and look around your home for anything that represent pieces of your life that you feel done with. It could be a picture, an object, something written on paper, but small enough to fit in your bundle.

When you feel complete wrap the covering around the objects, tie it shut, and place it on an altar. Each day until the new moon open the bundle look at each object and find the wisdom you gained from the experience that the object represents.

Once you have the wisdom for an object, take the object out and replace it with something that represents the wisdom, again it can be written, object, picture, etc. By the time of the solar eclipse on the new moon, find the wisdom in each object that was originally in your bundle and let the bundle hold the wisdom on your altar until the next full moon. If you find more things you are done with you can add them to the bundle and exchange them for wisdom as it comes.

Bundles hold wisdom
Gleaned from the journey through life
Held in gratitude

Meditation Exercise

Releasing the Fear of Being - Get yourself comfortable and take a few deep breaths, allowing yourself to relax. Notice the energy that is moving in your mind. Feel it around your head and third eye in your forehead. Allow your attention to move to your jaw and feel the energy moving there, then focus on your neck and feel it. Let your awareness drop to your shoulders, arms, hands and fingers, focusing on each until you feel energy moving in that part of your body. It feels like a tinglelyness or pulsing.

Then come back to your heart area and lungs feeling the energy moving as you breathe in and out. Move down to your hips and then your thighs, feeling the energy moving slowly down your body, like a warm liquid running down over you. Focus on your knees, calves, and ankles feeling the energy flowing downward. Finally feel it flow into your feet. Notice how all the parts of your body feel.

Say hello to your body, feeling it as a container for your energy self, a resting place.

Now, still feeling the energy in your feet, begin to breathe the energy up from your feet to your knees on the in-breath and back down to the feet on the out-breath. Continue breathing up your body a little further each time until you reach the heart level. Do not breathe the energy above the heart level, but continue breathing it from your feet to your heart on the in-breath and back to your feet on the out-breath. A nice visualization is laying on the beach with a wave washing over you from your feet to your heart and then receding back to your feet.

To continue to release your fear of being in body, practice this meditation, beginning with feeling the energy in your feet, as you go throughout your day. Feel the energy in your feet while you are driving, sitting, watching TV, talking to someone, eating, walking, or whatever else you are doing. After doing this for a few days notice any changes in how your body feels or your anxiety level or reactivity to what comes up each day.

Presence in body
Is required for healing
Body must feel safe

This Month's Article
Anxiety About Being Human
by Linda Heron Wind, Ph.D.

"But what exactly will it be like being human?" the soul asked.

"It is an indescribable experience!" said the Wise One. "The only way you can know is to experience it yourself. Some beings receive bodies but never experience being human."

"Why would they not have the experience if they have a body - I thought that was the most important part," responded the soul, now confused.

"It is because of mortal fear. When souls get to Earth they forget what is real and develop fears about the physical illusion: fear of living, fear of dying, fear of failing, fear of succeeding, fear of being alone, fear of being close to others, fear about what has already happened, and fear about what might happen - you name it and some soul probably has a fear about it. The most important part about being human is not just having a body, it is living in the body," the Wise One said, wishing that this discussion had never begun. After all there is no point in talking about the process to someone who has not yet had the experience.

"How can you have a body and not live in it, and why would any soul be afraid of all of those things?" asked the soul, now becoming frustrated.

"I will only tell you one more thing, and then no more questions until you have had the experience. After that maybe we can discuss it more. What I will tell you and hope that you will remember is that living in a body is perfectly safe - there is absolutely nothing that can happen to you in a body that is not simply an expression of human experience that you agreed to be present for. It might not appear that way from the perspective of the human eyes but nothing that happens in a human body is dangerous to your soul." With that the Wise One bowed to the soul, and left. Click here for the full article.

If you have comments on this newsletter or ideas for future topics, call Linda Heron Wind
at (585) 924-5620 or send e-mail to LHWind@aol.com.

Check out the article about Circle in the D&C
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/02042S35QT0_news.shtml

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